Packing-machine.



Nu. 6%,537. Patented Jan. 2|, |902. c. o. zmcsou.

PACKING MACHINE.

.(Application filed July 25, 1901.)

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheot I.

.rIrIrIIIrIrIrIIIrIIIrIrII'I INVENTOR WITNES SE8 m ATTORNEY n4: NormsPETERS co PNoTu-Lmm" WASHWGTON. a. c.

N0. 691L537. Patented Jan. 2|, I902.

' C. 0. EBICSON.

PACKING MACHINE.

(Application filed July 25, 1901.!

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES Unrrnn rarns CHARLES OSCAR ERICSON, OFHELMETTA, NEW JERSEY.

PAcKiNcm iAoi-nNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691 ,537, dated January21, 1902.

Application filed July 25, 1901. Serial No. 69,635. (No modeLl To (allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES OSCAR ERIC- son, of Helmetta, in the countyof Middlesex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Packing-Machines, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of machines which areused for packing loose material, such as snuff or tobacco, into bottles,boxes, or other packages; and the object of my invention is to produce asimple and efficient machine of this character which is adapted to packchar es of the material rapidly and snugly into the desired package;which is especially adapted for packing material which is more or lessdamp or sticky, as it has means for preventing the said material fromsticking to the funnel through which it has to pass; which is adapted topack the material without waste; which is very easily operated and keptin repair, and which in general affords means for packing such materialcheaper and better than by the use of ordinary means.

To these ends my invention consists of a packing-machine theconstruction and arrangement of which will be herein described andclaimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is afront elevation of myimproved machine. Fig. 2 is a brokenside elevation thereof with parts in vertical section. Fig. 3 is anenlarged detail sectional View of the funnel and the plunger mechanismwhich reciprocates therethrough. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of thehammer and scraper.

The packing mechanism is mounted and supported on a suitable frame 10,which may be of any approved construction, and it is my purpose to usethe packing mechanism in connection with a hopper 11, containing aconveyer, which is driven by the gearing 12, the latter being drivenfrom a driving-shaft 13, having tight and loose pulleys 14:, and thehopper 11 being arranged to discharge into a suitable weighing-scale 15.

The above mechanism as referred to in a general way forms thesubject-matter of my funnel l6,into which the material to be packed isplaced, and I have illustrated two such funnels and, in fact, duplicatepacking mechanism throughout, as I find by using the packing devices inpairs much more rapid work can be performed, for in this way the packingis continuous and one device is stuffing the material into its packagewhile a package is being removed and another substituted in the secondpacking device. I will therefore describe one packing device in detail.This funnel 1G is suitably supported and, as illustrated, is carried ona cross-piece 17, which can be angle-iron, and for convenience thefunnel is arranged near a shelf 18, having a suitable back 19, so thatthe packages can be conveniently piled on the shelf while the machine isin operation.

The snout of the funnel 16 is held in a suitable collar 20, (see Fig.3,) and the discharge of the funnel is into the bottle 21 or otherpackage into which the snuff or other material is to be packed. Thebottle or package 21 is adapted to rest on a little table 22, which isarranged beneath the funnel 16 and is carried on the top of avertically-reciprocating support or rod 23, which slides throughsuitable guide-collars 24:, these being supported on the main frame bymeans of bracket-plates, as shown. Each rod 23 is pivoted to an arm 23,and this is provided with suitable weights 25 and 26, which areadjustable and which are adapted to hold the table 22 in a normallyelevated position, or at least they will so hold it when the table ispushed up to the position shown at the right hand in Fig. 1. Each arm 23connects by a pivotal link 27 with a hanger 28, which is suitablysupported on frame 10. The lower end of the rod 23 extends into acylinder 30 and is provided with apiston 29, to the end that thedepression of rod 23 may be gradual as the package on the table 22 isfilled and the table pushed downward. The cylinder 80 can be filled withglycerin or other similar liquid. On one side the upper and lower partsof the cylinder connect by a pipe 31, in which is a valve 32, whichcontrols the flow of liquid, and a similar pipe 33 also connects theupper and lower parts of the cylinder, this being provided with a check34. It will be seen that as the piston 29 goes down the liquid is forcedup above the piston through the pipe 31 and that on the upstroke of thepiston the liquid is forced to the lower part of the cylinder throughthe pipe 33. This arrangement of the cylinder with its liquid and thepiston on the rod 23 is especially applicable where large packages areto be filled with snufi and where an even resistance must necessarily beimparted to the rod 23; but where small packages are used the cylinderand piston can be dispensed with and the rod permitted to slide freely.

The material to be packed is forced-downward through the funnel 16 by ahammer or plunger 35, which has a reduced shank 36 and a suitable head37, adapted to pass closely through the snout of the funnel. The hammeror plunger is shown detachably connected to vertically-reciprocating rod38; but ob viously the parts may be made integral, if desired. The rod38 slidesthrough suitable guide-collars 39 and 40, (see Fig. 1,) theformer being supported on the bracket-arms 41 and the latter on themachine-top.

In packing snuff or any other loose or sticky substance the tendency isfor the material to stick against the wall of the funnel 16. To obviatethis, I provide a scraper, (best shown in Figs. 3 and 4,) which isadapted to move downward close against the funnel-wall and scrape thematerial therefrom. As shown, the scraper comprisesja supporting-spider42, which is secured to the hammer or plunger '35, the ring 43, carriedby the spider, and the depending blades 44 and 45, which are of unequallength and which are hung pivotally on the ring 43. It will be seen thaton the upstroke of the hammer or plunger the scraperblades hang loosely,but on the downstroke they fly outward against the wall of the funneland as they move downward scrape off the material which would otherwiseadhere. I find that by having the blades of unequal length the scrapingeffect isbetter and that a more even filling of material beneath thehammer results.

It is obvious that many well-known devices can be used for reciprocatingthe hammers or plungers 35; but means should be provided for regulatingthe stroke of the hammers, and they should be made to reciprocatealternately, so as to facilitate the shifting of the packages describedbelowthat is, so that one package can be removed when its hammer is up,while the hammer of the opposite package may, perhaps, be down. For thispurpose I have shown each rod 38 pivoted to a lever 46, (see Fig. 2,)whichis centrally fulcrumed at 47 on a hanger 48 and which has severalholes 49, in either of which the fulcrum-pin 47 may be placed so as toshift the stroke of the rod 38. The outer end of each lever 46 ispivoted to a connecting-rod 50,

whichis connected with an eccentric-strap 51, and this is carried on anordinary eccentric 52 on the driving-shaft 13. This arrangement, it willbe seen, makes a very convenient means for reciprocating the two hammersand for making their strokes alternate.

In operating the machine the package 21 to be filled is placed on one ofthe tables 22 and a charge poured into the funnel 16 above, after whichthe same operation is performed upon the second packing device, in eachinstance the table 22 being pushed up so as to bring the bottle orpackage 21 close to the funnel-snout, as in Fig. 3. In this connectionit will be seen by referring to the said figure that a cushion 21 isprovided, against which the mouth of the bottle may contact. It will beseen that the filling of two bottles can go on at the same time, and theattendant merely removes the filled bottle and substitutes another,while at the same time the charges for the funnel are of course suppliedas fast as is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine of the kind described, the combination with the funneland the reciprocating hammer which moves through the funnel, of ascraper carried by the hammer, said scraper comprisinga series offreely-swinging blades adapted to contact at their free ends with theside wall of the funnel.

2. In a packing-machine, the combination with the funnel and the hammerreciprocating through the funnel, of the scraper comprising a ringattached to the hammer, and a series of freely-swinging blades hangingfrom the ring so that their free ends may engage the funnel-wall. V

3. In a machine of the kind described, the

combination with the funnel and the hammer which reciprocates throughit, of the scraper carried by the hammer, said scraper comprising aseries of freely-swinging blades of different lengths, the ends of theblades being adapted to engage the funnel-wall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresencejot two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES OSCAR ERIGSON.

Witnesses:

CARL GUSTAF DOMALDER, JOHN THOMAS I-IYsoRE.

